When Worlds Collide
by Sachi Kameko
Summary: It was the punch of the Symbol of Peace that defied all reason. A punch so strong it changed the weather and unknowingly pierced through even the space that existed between worlds. Midday, at Tatooin Shopping District, an unexplainable phenomenon occurred. The once frantic crowd was silenced, the clouds moved, the rain came, and children fell from the sky.
1. Chapter 1

It was approximately 120 years ago that superpowers, now called "Quirks", first appeared. For many years, this anomaly halted human development. The interest in interstellar travel, as well as other forms of advancement, no longer captured the public's attention; focus was instead pulled toward this new phenomenon. Suddenly, the lines of what made someone a normal human began to fade. Protests and riots broke out across the globe and like decay the progression of civilization stopped. Citizens were divided between factions that believed in equality for this new form of "individuality" and those that were against it. World governments struggled to reform laws to accommodate quirks, but with the wide variety of these individualities, such a task proved to be near impossible.

Crime rates increased dramatically until a handful of courageous individuals stepped in to keep the peace. These individuals were criticized, but eventually accepted as they upheld an agreed upon moral code. These individuals were dubbed "heroes", and under strict government regulation, it eventually became a legal profession. With heroes using their quirks to protect the general public, it became an agreed upon regulation that citizens would not use their quirks in public, unless as a matter of self defense.

In this world, the appearance of quirks gave rise to many contradictions and unexplainable phenomenons. People began to wonder what their life would be like if they did possess a quirk, while others wondered how they would live without one. As time wore on, more citizens developed quirks until majority of the world's population were quirk users. Despite this, the question of "what if" still lingered in the back of many minds.

Life is a constant series of "what if"s. For every option that is given, for every choice that is made, and for every chance there is a probability of a given outcome. With each possibility of any set of outcomes, a new world is created to accommodate that likelihood. When a child is conceived, there is a fifty-fifty chance of that child being born a boy or a girl. Given the child is born a boy, there is a three percent chance he will be named after his father. Then, there is an eighty percent chance he will develop a quirk. Likewise, there is a twenty percent chance he will not develop a quirk.

There is a world that accommodates a different combination of each possibility; a different world for each outcome. It stands to reason that there is a world created from an opposite set of possibilities and outcomes. What if he was born a _she_? What if _she_ did not develop a quirk?

Well, that isn't exactly how this story goes.

* * *

The ringing of a bell sounded throughout the school building, signalling the start of the last class period. All students chatted idly from their seats until they were interrupted by the stern voice of their teacher.

"Alright, settle down everyone!" The teacher cleared his throat as his gruff voice filled the space, hands supporting him against a podium. "So, as third year students it's time to start thinking seriously about your futures and what you want to do with your lives!"

The students seemed to lean forward eagerly, grins stretching onto the features of their faces. Their bodies itched with excitement as their quirks began to manifest. They hung on the words of their teacher; all except two: one who reclined boredly in the uncomfortable school seat and the other who scribbled notes in a worn notebook.

"I could hand out career aptitude tests, but why bother?" A proud grin found its way onto the teacher's aged face. "I know you all want to be heroes!"

The class collectively began to holler and shout gleefully. It was every child's dream to be a superhero, and in a world full of superpowers, that dream was not farfetched. Everyone released their quirks: rock fists, growing hair, fingers that could stretch, light that illuminated from skin, and more.

"Yes, yes you have some very impressive quirks." The professor cleared his throat, his stern expression returning. "But, no power usage allowed in school. Get ahold of yourselves!"

"Hey, teach." The rowdy class settled, eyes focusing on the student that reclined cooly in their seat, feet propped on the desk. "Don't lump me in with these bunch of losers. I'm the real deal, but these guys will be lucky to end up as sidekicks to some busted D-lister, heh!" A head of short, spiky blond hair lifted up, plump lips stretching into a confident grin while red eyes shone with superiority.

"You think you're better than us, Katsuki?!" The class booed.

"Oh, I know I am! Let's go, I'll take you all on!"

"Well," the teacher hummed thoughtfully, gazing at a sheet of notes. "You've got impressive test results. Maybe you will get into U.A. High."

With U.A. being the most prestigious hero academy, it was amazing to even think someone would attempt to apply. The students expressed their awe with a new wave of rambunctious chattering. Their noise easily drowned out the sound of a pen scratching against paper. A lone student remained silent, keeping to themselves as they scribbled down endless notes. The senseless noise of the class seemed like nothing more than a whisper compared to scattered thoughts that begged to be put on paper. That is, until that person was called from their stupor.

"Oh yeah, Midoriya, don't you want to go to U.A., too?"

The scribbling of the pen ceased at the sound of the owner's name. First name Izuku, Midoriya looked up, green eyes meeting the gaze of thirty some onlookers. The class was once again hushed as the students awkwardly gazed between Izuku and Katsuki.

Katsuki, who had at some point ended up on top of the desk, looked down to hone in on Izuku before jumping down, full chest bouncing slightly at the landing. Confidently, she marched over toward the writer's desk until she towered over her fellow student.

"You trying for U.A.?" Katsuki scoffed. "You really think they'll take you when they could have me?"

Brow furrowing while an uncomfortable frown pulled down freckled cheeks, Izuku's modestly developed chest heaved a sigh. "We've discussed this before, _Kacchan_ ," she drawled out the nickname of her childhood companion. "I'm not trying to compete with you." Izuku tried to return to her notes, but found herself unable to do so when her notebook was rudely snatched away.

"What the hell is this?" Katsuki flipped through the pages. "Hero Analysis for the Future. You still take these shitty notes? You're so pathetic… Even your ribbon is fashioned after All Might. You're such a damn nerd!"

It was true. Izuku's hair was long, thick, and unkempt. The mess of green curls that adorned her head was held back by a yellow ribbon tied into a bow that peaked from the top of her head. It was a look that was commonly associated with the world's number one hero, All Might, who was also the person she admired most. It was no secret that Izuku was a massive fangirl for any and all heroes. She spent majority of her time analyzing different heroes and writing down their strengths and weakness in her notebook. Earlier that day, on her way to school, she even stopped to analyze two newcomer heroes: Kamui Woods and Mt. Lady! She'd done this for many years and she was currently working on her thirteenth journal.

"Yeah, real funny. Just give it back!" Izuku reached for her notebook, only to have it moved out of her reach.

Katsuki's eyes narrowed dangerously as her hands began to smoke. Sparks danced on her palms before erupting, charring the notebook in hand. Izuku's eyes widened, jaw slacking in disbelief as she watched Katsuki carelessly toss her book out the window. The other students had fallen into a dead silence as they watched the scene before them. This was a situation none wanted to get in the middle of.

Izuku stood from her chair, the metal legs screeching against the tile floor. Her hands slammed against her desk and she grit her teeth, lips forming an upset frown while her brow furrowed in annoyance.

"What?" Katsuki's eyes lit up challengingly, hands clenching and unclenching as they began to smoke at her sides. "You wanna fight, _Deku_?"

The teacher finally cleared his throat, effectively grasping the attention of the two girls. "No fighting! I don't want another _incident_!"

The two girls stared at each other for long seconds before ultimately returning to their seats. Katsuki let out a single irritated grunt while Izuku muttered incoherently under her breath. This had become something of a routine within the class, but this was certainly one of the rare times one of them, namely Izuku, walked away without burns and bruises.

The class had settled into an awkward silence, a strange tension blanketing the space around them. It was broken only when the teacher began to speak again. "Anyway, I know you all want to go the hero track, but you should all begin submitting applications to your school of choice. There are many good hero training schools out there, so choose wisely!" His short interlude was interrupted by the sound of the final bell, announcing the end of the school day. "Class dismissed."

Before the words could completely leave the teacher's lips, Izuku was already out of her chair. Slinging her backpack over her shoulders haphazardly, Izuku bolted from the room. She was determined to find her beloved notebook, which was sure to be tattered. Behind her, she left a quake of curious onlookers.

"Sometimes, she's just too much!" Izuku mumbled under her breath as she exited the building. Her destination was a patch of bushes located near the window of her classroom. She shifted through the bushes, occasionally jabbing her fingers against sharp twigs and thorns. It was a tedious task, but it didn't take long. In the end, she found her notebook swimming in a fountain behind the bushes, being nibbled on by fish. "My dreams are fish food!" She laughed bitterly. "That's enough. Give it back…"

Gingerly lifting the soggy book from the water, effectively scaring the fish away, Izuku carefully examined its pages. They would rip and tear at the slightest touch, and although still legible the words were smeared and blurry. The freckled girl pursed her lips together, chest expanding and falling in a deep sigh.

Katsuki Bakugou, a fellow classmate Izuku has known since they were kids. She had always been rough and wild, but Katsuki's uncontrollable nature only seemed to get worse after the development of her quirk: Explosion. From her hands, she sweat nitroglycerine, which would then combust. It was a dangerous quirk for a dangerous personality. Still, Izuku often reminded herself not to take Katsuki's words or actions so much to heart; a task that sometimes proved to be very difficult.

Homeward bound, Izuku held her notebook protectively against her chest. "I'll just have to wait until I get home to write about that fight between a villain and some newcomer heroes from this morning. I hope I don't forget anything!" She was so lost in thought she almost didn't notice a head of unruly blond hair a bit ahead of her. It wasn't an unusual sight; they did live in the same neighborhood after all. She quickened her pace, slowly but surely catching up to the wild girl. "Kacchan!" Katsuki turned in response to being called, red eyes landing on the only person to address her by that name. "Wait for me!"

"Quit dragging your ass, Deku! Hurry the hell up!" Katsuki waited impatiently as a head of curly green hair bounced ever closer.

Izuku huffed in frustration. "Sorry, but I was busy fishing my notebook out of the school fountain!"

Katsuki scowled, pivoting on her heel, no longer waiting for the other girl. "Whatever, you damn nerd, let's go."

She sighed, watching her childhood companion from behind as they continued their trek from school to home. Despite their constant arguments, Izuku would like to think they were friends; even if she knew Katsuki would vehemently deny it.

Izuku decided to strike a conversation. "So, have you already submitted your application to U.A.?"

"What kind of dumb ass question is that?"

"Where do you think the others in our class are going to apply to?"

"Why the fuck should I care?" The conversation had barely started and Katsuki was already bored of it. "I don't give a damn what those rejects decide to do."

"Oh?" Izuku hummed, and Katsuki threw her a sideways glance. "What if they decided to apply for U.A.?"

"You must be mental!" The look on Katsuki's face was simply incredulous. "The school's already crappy, it would just be embarrassing if any one of them tried to apply! And you"-Katsuki gazed at Izuku from head to toe, observing her meager form. "With the way you are, you'll die in the exams!"

Izuku's nose wrinkled with displeasure, but she ultimately let it go. She should've saw that insult coming from a mile away. She brought it upon herself. "Let's change the subject." She grumbled. Katsuki didn't seem displeased by the idea, either. "How about we go to the arcade to get our minds off things?"

For a moment, Katsuki looked thoughtful. "Fine."

They altered their route. Between school and home it wasn't much of a detour to head toward Tatooin Shopping District, where all the best arcades were located. Upon entering the shopping district, they ventured into a near abandoned alleyway. The air alluded a shady and unconventional sensation, but the best arcade was located down the dark path. Seemingly even more unconventional was an abandoned soda machine that leaned against the soggy alley wall. It was an object that had resided there for awhile, and no one seemed to take the time to get rid of it. It wasn't something Izuku ever touched, but Katsuki had developed a habit of snatching free sodas from the rickety machine, kicking it until it released a carbonated beverage.

Katsuki grinned, licking her lips as she popped the can open, greedily gulping down the contents until there was nothing left. Izuku merely shook her head at the sight. With how long that tattered machine had been there, unplugged and abandoned, there was no way the beverages it produced were cold. She couldn't understand how Katsuki could find such a thing refreshing. She was about to dissuade Katsuki from partaking in another warmed beverage, but was stopped short when the sound of police sirens sounded near them.

"I wonder what's going on?" Izuku peaked out of the alleyway, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Probably some low-level thug getting cornered." Katsuki seemed uninterested, instead swiping another beverage from the abused soda machine and chugging it in one go. "The police get all the boring shit, since heroes take the spotlight. I'd never be caught dead in some crap job like that!"

Izuku merely hummed, only half listening. Instead, she stood on her toes and tried to scan the crowds for any signs of action.

"Hey!"

Izuku gasped when her knees suddenly buckled, gracelessly falling to the ground. She tossed a glare at the offender. "What was that for?!"

"Don't ignore me when I'm talking, Deku!" Upon seeing Izuku's attention diverted elsewhere, Katsuki had moved in to kick the back of the unsuspecting girl's knees.

"Whatever! Let's just hurry up and get to the arcade!" Getting back on her feet and straightening her uniform, Izuku muttered almost incoherently under her breath.

"Damn nerd." Katsuki clicked her tongue, exploding the now empty can in her hands before tossing it aside.

The pair began to make their way towards their destination until they were halted by the shadow of a looming figure. Izuku was the one who saw the fluid figure first, face turning deathly pale while her lips trembled. Villain-was the word on her lips that never escaped, her breath catching in her throat as a terrified gasp. Katsuki saw the danger second, eyes widening and a bold crease forming on her brow.

"Perfect!" It's voice was thick and laced with malice, it's eyes were big and painted red, and it's mouth was hinged wide open. "I like a skin suit with some fire!"

It all happened too fast to fully comprehend. Izuku was frozen, heart stopped in her chest and breath caught in her lungs. Time seemed to flow in slow motion. The mass of sludge lunged forward, encasing Katsuki in it's body. The automated response of vast explosions in self defense erupting from Katsuki, ensnared in sludge. The explosions were strong and out of control, an odd reaction between Katsuki's sweat and the villain's sewage body. Flames licked out in all directions and Izuku found her body being flung against the alley wall.

"K-Kacchan…" Her surroundings faded into a blur. All Izuku could comprehend was fire, screaming, and the villain's loud confident laugh as black surrounded her vision.

"You picked the wrong person to mess with!" Katsuki's voice screamed out as she fought against the sludge that encompassed her body. "I'm gonna send you back to whatever sewer you crawled out of!" Explosions erupted from the palms of her hands, catching flames to the buildings to her left and right. She fought frantically, muscles burning against the strain of the villain's grip on her. "Let me go!"

"Yes, yes, so much power!" The villain merely cheered. "If All Might hadn't shown up, I could've skipped town by now. But, with a quirk like yours, I can take him down with one punch!"

Katsuki shouted out, desperately trying to free herself but it was no use. She felt the villain forcing sludge in her throat; the taste on her tongue was nearly enough to force bile from her stomach. Clenching her eyes shut, she tried desperately to hold on to whatever oxygen she could; she couldn't breathe.

As Izuku slowly came to, she was first made aware of constricting wooden arms around her body and hot air whipping through her hair. Secondly, she took note of the sturdy body of Kamui Woods practically pressed against her. Under any other circumstance she would be ecstatic, over the moon, even! With her intense fascination for heroes and near obsessive tendency to take notes of them, it was practically a dream come true to be in his arms! However, her disconcerted mind could hardly process any of it. Vision swimming with confusion, she didn't even realize when he set her behind a nearby police barricade or when he jumped off to save more citizens.

Beyond a frantic crowd, rescue specialist Backdraft desperately hosed down flames. Narrowly dodging tendrils of flames, Kamui secured his extendable wooden appendages around citizens and pulled them to safety. Gigantification hero Mt. Lady forced to standby on the sidelines, the street much too narrow for her, as the disaster continued to unfold hopelessly. Even strength hero Death Arms violently being slung against a nearby wall. None of these things processed the way they should've. In her hazed state, Izuku found herself slowly trying to piece her frazzled brain back together. Everything around her played like a stop motion movie as she began to find her orientation. Her heart found refuge in her throat, and her lungs constricted painfully as if all the air was being forced out of them. Her reality seemed to warp as she took in the scene before her: raging explosions, a maniacal laugh, and a victim encaged in a body of sludge. 

* * *

Breathing escalating almost to the point of hyperventilating, Midoriya's hands tightly clasped over his mouth, a vain attempt to calm his racing nerves. Sheer guilt clenched at the pit of his stomach as though he were the very cause of this catastrophe. A hero would come! If nothing else, he had to believe a hero would come! His eyes remained glued to the chaotic scene and all too soon his gaze caught that of a familiar pair of red eyes; they warped, like that of someone desperately trying to cling to life.

Heart thumping painfully in his throat, blood nearly freezing over despite the wild flames that surrounded him, he ran. An impulse reaction, an instinct that he had no control over. Tears gathered in his eyes as he desperately chased toward the sludge villain, but he couldn't stop! His legs moved on their own accord, on autopilot.

Frantically, his mind raced. He had no objective in mind, except only to reach his childhood companion. The chaos around him faded away, his ears catching nothing but the sound of his thundering heart and screeching thoughts. He needed a plan! He was racing toward his death, powerless and desperate, and he needed a plan! Images played like a movie in his head and suddenly he recalled the words in his beloved journal, the words he had practically etched into his memory. Page twenty-five: create an opening to restrain the opponent!

Reflexively, he threw his backpack over his shoulder, effectively managing to hit the villain directly in the eye. The victim, his childhood companion, coughed violently, the villain releasing his grasp on him only enough for him to breathe. Bakugou gasped, taking in large gulps of blessed oxygen.

"Kacchan!"

"What the hell? Why are you here?!"

"I don't know! My legs just started moving! I couldn't"-the tears that had gathered in Midoriya's terrified eyes began to spill out, cascading against his freckled cheeks. "I couldn't just stand there and watch you die!"

Sludge once again took hold of Bakugou's lips, depriving him of air once more. He thrashed and yelled, more so than before, and explosions continued to erupt from his palms. It was chaos still; the heroes were screaming, Bakugou was suffocating, and Midoriya was desperately trying to rip away the slimy cage.

Everything was happening so fast. Midoriya could do nothing but brace himself for death as the villain moved in for a killing blow when a strong grip took hold of him. He was forced to the side, tightly closed eyes peaking open in time to see a light of hope shine in the eyes of his savior. Before him was All Might, number one hero, muscles and all! He spoke with vigor, voice deep and warm and raging like his muscles, but Midoriya couldn't hear anything. It was a mighty shout and punch that smashed only the villain, yet still managed to knock the wind out of him, that ended it all. The punch of All Might, the world's number one hero, shot a strong current of wind into the sky. The villain was broken apart, the flames were snuffed out like a mere candle, and the two boys were rendered unconscious.

In this world, the appearance of quirks gave rise to many contradictions. For every option that is given, for every choice that is made, and for every possible chance a world is created to accommodate that likelihood. It was the punch of the Symbol of Peace that defied all reason. A punch so strong it changed the weather and unknowingly pierced through even the space that existed between worlds. Midday, at Tatooin Shopping District, an unexplainable phenomenon occurred. The once frantic crowd was silenced, the clouds moved, the rain came, and children fell from the sky.

* * *

 **A/N:** Y'all, I am so hype for this story! Honestly, I'm partially using this story as a way to dive a bit more into Katsuki Bakugou's character. I want to dive more into his character for my other story **To Get Her in Spring**! Go check it out! *cough* **SHAMELESS PROMOTION** *cough*

Any how! This first chapter was probably a little confusing, but it will come together a lot more in the next chapter and those that follow!

Please, comments are welcome! I really want to know what you think! How's the story flow? Is it easy/hard to follow along? How are the character interactions/motivations? Let me know!

Stay tuned for the next one!


	2. Chapter 2

When Izuku came to she found herself lying haphazardly on cold, wet concrete. The scent of sewage hung thick in the air and she had to resist the urge to vomit. The uncomfortable sensation of wet clothes clinging to her flesh made the urge all the more overwhelming. Her stomach churned and her bones ached from the unknown amount of time she spent sprawled against the alley ground. A pained groan fell from her lips, nimble fingers lifting to vainly massage away a headache that raged against her temples. Questions swarmed her thoughts, forming a hazy sequence of dots in her mind. It took many moments, but slowly she began to connect them until a definite picture took shape.

Eyes snapping open, a sharp gasp pulling itself from the confines of her lips, Izuku shot up. It was an action that she immediately regretted as pain radiated through her spine, but she pushed the near crippling pain away. Frantic eyes observed her surroundings: charred walls, destroyed buildings, and small particles of sewage painting it all. Still, it was not what she desperately searched for.

"Kacchan?" Her voice was hoarse and scratched uncomfortably at her throat, but she continued her call. "Kacchan!"

"Shut up, you damn nerd!" Izuku immediately turned in the direction of the sound, finding herself faced with an image of Katsuki propped against a nearby wall. "You're so fucking loud."

The overwhelming relief that flooded Izuku's body at the sight of her companion was short lived. As if no longer sustained by her worry, all the aches and pain flooded her body like a white hot poker against her skin. For a moment, she thought she might pass out again. She tried to breathe through the pain, external intercostal muscles lifting and spreading her ribcage with each deep breath.

A crisp breeze brushed by, soothing her tender skin, but also causing a tremor to rake up her spine. The air surrounding the two girls was moist and sticky, a thick scent of dew lingering. It mixed bitterly with the sour stench of the back alley, occasionally causing them to crinkle their noses, but given the situation, it was hard to complain.

"It rained." Green irises lifted toward the sky, the words falling from her lips absentmindedly. The sky was overcast, clouds steadily moving away from them. It was clear that a small bout of rain had just passed by; this explained why she was drenched from head to toe. Izuku received only an unamused snort from Katsuki in response. She knew she had stated the obvious, and she had expected to pull more of a reaction from the other girl. Katsuki was usually loud and demanding, so she was somewhat off put with Katsuki's unusual silence. It settled over them like a veil and after the previous chaos, it was almost welcome. Gathering her bearings, she let it remain, basking in its fragile existence for a moment longer; she was hesitant to break it. "What happened?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Katsuki found her voice, but now it was calm and calculating, a rare tone Izuku wasn't used to hearing. "We were attacked and got our asses saved."

Izuku shifted around, finding the cold ground to be increasingly uncomfortable as time wore on. Still, despite the discomfort, there was no denying the stars in her eyes and the gummy grin that stretched across her face. "We were saved by All Might!" Her tone was giddy and cheeks flushed with disbelief.

Katsuki rolled her eyes, scowling at the green-haired fangirl. "Fucking nerd… Don't you think this is weird?"

"Being saved by All Might?"

"Not that, fuck-munch! Why are we still here?"

The young girl's green eyes trailed from the sky to look at the other. Izuku's brows furrowed in contemplation, but Katsuki's words only managed to drift over her head. If Katsuki was trying to get at something, she didn't follow.

"How thick can you-?" Katsuki let out a long irritated sigh. "Do you really think the number one hero would just leave two kids in an alley after saving them?"

Slowly but surely, it began to sink in. It was true that they had been saved by the world's greatest, All Might, and it was also true that they were still located at the scene of their attack. Now that Katsuki had made it plainly obvious, the whole situation seemed completely out of place. Not only was All Might in the vicinity, but so were other well known heroes as well as the police. At least someone would've thought to wait for them to regain consciousness or take them to a hospital. Speaking of which, how long had they been unconscious?

Reaching into her previously forgotten backpack, Izuku fished out her phone, which remained surprisingly unscathed from the earlier chaos. She was quick to note that there were no missed calls from her mother, so they couldn't have been unconscious for that long. Knowing her mother's worrisome persona, she was sure to call if her young daughter stayed out too late. Still, even if it wasn't late at present, the late hours were undoubtedly ebbing dangerously close. Glancing at the sky, Izuku's suspicions were confirmed. Once streaked a dreary gray, the sky was now illuminated with gold, a burst from the sun as it descended the sky. It wouldn't be too long until they bathed in darkness. For now, it seemed, the mystery would have to wait until later.

"It's getting late," Izuku mumbled, shoving her phone back into her yellow backpack. Slowly, she stood, groaning at the way her body creaked and ached from prolonged exposure to the cold, hard ground. "We should head home and worry about this later." Being answered with only silence, she looked up only to discover that the spiky-haired blond was lost deep in thought. Katsuki's brows were slightly drawn together and her hand gingerly nursed her neck. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Sharp eyes snapped to meet green ones, brow furrowed. "Why the fuck are you asking?"

"Well, because of that villain?"

"I'm fine, dumbass!" If possible, Katsuki's brows furrowed ever more, her nose wrinkling up with contempt. Standing on her own, the time bomb of a girl snatched her own bag from the dirty alley ground. "You can keep your shit concern to yourself! I never asked for your help, Deku! You didn't even do anything, anyway!"

Her previous calm was gone and Izuku had to hold back an impassive sigh; clearly, Katsuki's fuse was short. They had begun to make their way out of the alley and onto the unusually quiet streets of the partially destroyed shopping district, Katsuki letting out streams of swears and insults all the while. Izuku wanted to ignore her, but there was no denying the validity of her verbal assault. Her intentions were merely to save her companion from a villain, but in reality she didn't really do anything at all. She had only put herself in harm's way, more than likely also making the heroes jobs more difficult. Her helplessness was frustrating, but Izuku couldn't bring herself to feel sad about it. At least she tried doing what she felt was right in that moment.

"Got it?!"

"Huh?" Izuku was snapped out of her wandering thoughts.

"I don't owe you shit!"

Katsuki's tone was aggressive, but Izuku couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. "Got it."

From there, they walked in silence. Only a small section of the street had been charred and burned, but still the whole district was deserted. The rest of the world outside of that small area carried on as though nothing had occurred at all. The streets were peaceful and bathed in the sun's golden rays, hardly a soul ever passing them by. Being from the same neighborhood, a fact that has remained since they were children, Katsuki and Izuku quickly found themselves approaching their awaiting homes. They passed Katsuki's home first, the spiky haired girl barely offering a grunt as a farewell before making a turn to walk away. Then, Izuku was alone, left to traverse the remaining short distance to her home by herself. 

* * *

For a moment, Midoriya watched Bakugou's receding back. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he recalled the day. It had a routine start, got crazy, and ultimately took a nosedive into insanity. Still, it ended alright. It was a day of experiences and valuable lessons. If anything, it was their runnin with a villain that lead Midoriya to finally realize that being a hero just wasn't in the cards for him. It was a sad truth.

The disheartened boy looked away from the direction his childhood friend had disappeared off to; it was time to move on. He was ready to drag his realization along with him and hope that one day soon he would eventually come to accept it rather than have it simply chain him down. Well, that was to be the case until a shadowed figure barged into the scene.

"I am here!" The man announced gallantly, face beaming with pride and muscles bulging heroically. With his signature butter blond hair and tall stature, it was none other than All Might.

"A-All Might! What are you doing here?!" Midoriya's face was flushed with amazement. It was unbelieveable that he got to interact with the man once, but multiple times in one day seemed impossible! If anyone came to him claiming to have met earth's greatest he'd say they were lying, or at least think them crazy. "Where did you come from?!"

"Dramatic entrances are nothing for me!" The great hero let out a booming laugh. "For I am All Mi-!"

All Might's boisterous declaration was stopped short as he began to cough violently, a veil of smoke clouding around him. Now, the older man stood as a shadow of his glory. He stood as a skeleton of a man, whose previous grandeur was replaced with a sickly appearance. Midoriya's response, of course, was to shriek and cry in surprise, showering the man he admired most with questions of worry. He was, however, shushed by the wave of a bony hand while the mighty hero coughed into his fist.

"Kid, I came to thank you." Once his violent coughs settled, All Might spoke; his voice, previously full of vigor was now hollow and gruff. "I also have a proposal for you."

"Thank me?" Midoriya's eyes gleamed with astonishment, a goofy smile awkwardly tugging at his lips. "If anything, I should be thanking you! When I tried to save my friend, I was being reckless. I don't even have a quirk, but I still did something like that. I was being stupid… You saved me, today. All I did was make things worse." The young boy's smile faded into a sad one, head tipping downward to stare at his feet. His chest felt heavy and his cheeks felt hot, stained red with embarrassment.

"No quirk?" All Might's voice pierced the air. Midoriya was expecting to be reproached, but couldn't hide his surprise when the man instead let out a chuckle. "When no one else was willing to step in to save that kid, you were the only one who did. You: a timid, quirkless boy.

It was your act of bravery that made me realize that I wasn't living up to my own ideals of what it meant to be a hero. If you hadn't been there I wouldn't have acted. I was content berating myself on the sidelines without doing anything. Your action really touched me!

Kid, you've got something special! It's been said that it's possible to tell who will become a great hero as early as when they're in school. Okay, then what? What happens to them? You see kid, every great hero has a story, and they all begin the same: 'My body moved on its own'! That's what happened to you, right?"

As Midoriya listened to All Might's warm, gruff voice, his body began to tremble. His words made his chest swell and eyes sting. His breath caught in his throat from the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. Like a movie on rewind, Midoriya recalled the scene with the villain, of how his legs moved without his consent. All the while, his legs quivered violently, eventually giving out on him and finally sinking to the ground, eyes releasing every tear that he'd ever held back.

His throat tightened and a shaky cry squeezed itself from the depths of his throat as his hero said the words he'd always desperately wanted to hear: "Young man, you can be a hero."

It was as though the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. Midoriya let his tears flow freely and for a moment All Might quietly let him; to which he was just as embarrassed as he was grateful. There he was, in front of his all time hero, with tears flowing from his eyes, snot dripping from his nose, and even drool leaking from his mouth. He wasn't pretty.

All Might coughed. "Long story short, you have impressed me. As for my proposal," the Symbol of Peace raised his hands in a pose of glory. "You are worthy to inherit my strength!"

The boy sniffed, a disgusting sound accompanying the action. He caught his breath and lifted his head to gaze at the hero in question. A plethora of inquiries simultaneously flooded his mind and, for a moment, he honestly thought his brain would fry.

"Huh?" Midoriya's expression was helpless.

"Jeez, don't have such an unbelievable expression! I'm talking about my quirk!" Midoriya's mind only plunged deeper into a state of confusion. All Might's hollowed face twisted up as he released another series of violent coughs, continuing his speech once they passed. "I always avoid the topic whenever the subject of my quirk comes up in interviews. As such, most people just assume it's a kind of power enhancement, but it's not that at all. In truth, my quirk is a power not unlike a sacred torch that can be passed from one bearers to the next!"

"H-huh?! It's a quirk you can inherit?!" He received nothing more than a curt confirmation and at this point, the young boy was practically seeing stars. Midoriya's whole world was being warped, and his brain moved in overdrive in an effort to comprehend this new reality. "W-wait, hold on! Please, hold on a second! It's certainly the case that no one had been able to figure out your quirk; it's considered one of the world's great mysteries! But a quirk that can be given away like a gift? If such a thing is really possible we'd have to rethink everything we know to be true about-!"

"Stop nerding out! You're overcomplicating this!" It was All Might that shook him from his endless mutterings. With a deep sigh, the man continued, "It's a power to transfer power. It's a power that was passed on to me, and it's name is One For All. As this power is passed down, its power is cultivated further, getting stronger and stronger with time. I've been looking for a successor, and you are the one that I have chosen!"

"One For All? Why are you giving such an awesome power to someone like me?" It was a valid question, after all Midoriya lacked muscle and he had no quirk on top of it all.

"In that dire situation, you were surrounded by those whose job it is to protect others. Despite knowing your own weakness, you were still the only one to take action. In that moment, you were the one who shined more than any of those other heroes!"

Midoriya's eyes filled with tears once again, as he gazed up at his hero from his spot on the ground. To keep them from falling, he lifted his arm to vigorously wipe at his eyes. Tears, snot, and drool found its way onto the sleeve of his shirt, but he couldn't bring himself to care. A once in a lifetime opportunity presented itself to him in the form of a skeleton-like man whose clothes practically swallowed him. He could find no reason to refuse.

"But hey, I won't force this on you. It's your decision to make, of course! What do you say?"

"No! I mean-! Yes, please..." Having finally dried his face Midoriya made to stand from the ground. Looking onward, his eyes were alight with determination. "I'll take it!"

"No hesitation, just as I expected!" All Might's hollowed cheeks were tugged back by a proud grin.

A smile stretched across Midoriya's face, heart fluttering madly at this surreal event. It faded, however, upon noticing his hero's shadow looming in front of him. Looking behind the towering man, Midoriya was surprised to see the sun was practically buried in the horizon. He had been completely oblivious to the amount of time had passed by since All Might sprang into the scene. Nervously, his eyes shifted between the older man and the direction of his home. All at once, he felt conflicted: go home or stay a little longer with the number one hero? The last thing Midoriya wanted was to be rude, but the ever setting sun called out to him.

All Might was not naive to the boy's inner struggle. He too noticed the sky begin to transition from its golden streaks to a silver-speckled deep blue, and decided it was time to cut their fated meeting short. "You should know, but all of this must remain a secret. This is something no one else can find out about." His voice was stern, leaving no room for argument. "As for giving you my power, meet me at the seaside park, early morning in two days. Now, it's getting late. You should head home, kid."

A smile returned to Midoriya's face, this one awkward, but proud as he gave All Might a nod of understanding. "Right!" 

* * *

Upon entering her house, Katsuki lazily dropped her bag on the ground by the door, which she carelessly slammed behind her. She could smell the savory scent of food wafting from the kitchen and hear footsteps padding in her direction, but she paid it no mind. The events of the day replayed in the back of her mind like a broken record, that alone made it easy to shut everything else out.

"Katsuki?" She hadn't even managed to take off her shoes when her mother's voice faintly reached her ears. "You're finally home! Where the hell have you-?"

Her voice was reproachful and Katsuki visibly cringed as she could practically hear the rants and nags that haven't even been spoken into existence yet. But none of it came, which was odd considering her mother's chatty nature. Katsuki wouldn't be surprised if her mother took genuine enjoyment out of nagging her, so the fact that her mother's voice trailed off into silence only made the situation even more odd.

Looking up from the floor, Katsuki was met with the sight of her mother, Mitsuki Bakugou. They were spitting images of each other, the primary difference being how her mother's hair laid a little more flat and the age lines that barely manifested under her eyes. Now, however, there was another difference of an incredulous look that was currently etched onto the features of the older woman's face.

"Who the fuck are you staring at?" Katsuki's nose wrinkled up in annoyance.

"Who are you?"

"Huh?" Now, it was Katsuki's turn to look baffled. "You fucking blind, you ugly old hag?!"

They stared each other down in the midst of a thick and heavy silence. Katsuki's eyes were narrowed while a scowl fitted itself onto her face. With the her unusually chaotic day, she was not in the mood for anymore peculiarities. From the look on her mother's face, Katsuki could tell the feeling was mutual. The older woman also had a scowl on her face, turning her usually youthful appearance into one that was marred by faint wrinkles.

"Who the hell are you?"

Katsuki was losing what little patience she had left. "You finally going senile?! I'm your fucking kid!"

"You're not my son!" Just like her, Mitsuki's patience wore thin. She raised her voice more so than when they usually argued and by now Katsuki could hear her father's heavy footsteps approach.

She took pause. "Son?" The word rolled on Katsuki's tongue awkwardly, her face contorting in utter disbelief. By now, her father, Masaru Bakugou, had marched into the room and the look on his face mirrored that of his wife's when she had first stepped into the room. "Oy, old man, tell this bitch she's lost her fucking mind!"

Masaru stared at her for long seconds, lips opening and closing as he looked between the two girls; he looked like a fish out of water. It was as though endless moments passed by until he managed to find his voice, brow furrowing as he managed to look the young girl in the eyes. "Who are you?" His voice was low and cautious, as though he was trying to tread through a minefield. "You're not Katsuki."

An annoyed growl left the confines of her throat, fists clenching and unclenching at her side while sparks twitched against her palms. "I'm out of here!" Katsuki spun on her heel, hot hands sizzling and smoking against the cool metal of the doorknob. "You two are fucking nuts!" With those parting words, Katsuki slammed the door behind her as she quickly and angrily stormed down the empty street. She quickly found herself inwardly seething and mulling over the incident. Thinking of one peculiarity lead to another and soon she found herself thinking about the day's events as a whole. The whole day had been crazy and chaotic, and practically denying her existence was the last thing she expected from her parents.

Son-the word bounced around her head bitterly, and she felt a sick twinge in the pit of her stomach. The mysteries were piling up and it was starting to feel as though reality was beginning to contort. Katsuki wondered if the oddities would end at that today, but somehow she knew it wouldn't.

Almost instinctively, Katsuki sped up her pace. She went from a brisk walk to a jog and from a jog to a run. She didn't even realize she had taken off into a sprint until a green-haired Izuku came into her view, whom she was surprised to have caught up to so quickly.

" _Deku_!" Katsuki's voice was loud and raging and the said girl's response was merely a look of utter surprise and panic as she was charged at.

Izuku screeched, narrowly jumping out of the way to avoid Katsuki's charge. She may have missed the charge, but she couldn't avoid Katsuki pivoting on her heel to grasp firmly at the collar of her shirt. " _What the hell is your problem_?!" Izuku squirmed violently to try to get away from the crazed girl.

Katsuki was silent for a moment, taking the time to catch her breath. Her eyes were narrowed dangerously, and a deep wrinkle fitted itself directly on the middle of her forehead. After a handful of seconds, she clicked her tongue and pushed Izuku away. "Why the fuck are you still out here? Shouldn't you be home already?"

Izuku stumbled, but managed to catch herself. She straightened the collar of her shirt before tossing the other girl a vexed glare. "I only left your place five minutes ago! My house is right there!" Izuku's voice was icy, annoyance laced with every syllable as she pointed behind the spiky-haired blond. With reluctance, Katsuki threw a glance behind her shoulder and, sure enough, rested her eyes upon Izuku's house. She stared at it only briefly before returning her red eyes to her companion. Izuku occupied herself by straightening her disheveled uniform. She muttered bitterly under her breath as she did so, and only when she had completed her task did her green eyes return to the visibly irritated, wild girl. "What's got you so irritated?"

An ugly sneer found its way onto the features of Katsuki's face. "My shitty parents."

"You really should be more respectful to them." Given the relationship she had with her own mother, Katsuki's behavior regarding her parents simply rubbed her the wrong way. Izuku knew she was stepping in a minefield with that statement, especially given Katsuki's dangerous expression, but the words escaped before she could stop them.

Sure enough, the look Katsuki threw her way was nothing short of venomous. That wasn't surprising. What was surprising, however, was how Katsuki, rather than shove threats and insults down her throat, opted to gloss over it and move on; if Izuku could color herself impressed, she would. Katsuki's expression transformed rapidly from murderous, to serious, to contemplative, and maybe even troubled. It was a mix of emotions Izuku wasn't used to seeing in the other girl.

"She said I wasn't her kid." Katsuki spat the words. Her face read annoyance, but also how she couldn't wrap her head around the strange occurrence. "Her _son_."

Izuku furrowed her brows. "Maybe… she was pranking you?"

"My shitty old man said it, too! He said I wasn't _Katsuki_!"

Sure, their family was dysfunctional, and Katsuki argued with her mother endlessly, but if there was one thing Izuku was sure of it was how fiercely proud they were of their daughter. There was practically no force on earth that could cause them to deny her. Even if, by some chance, it was a prank orchestrated by Mitsuki, there was very little chance the down-to-earth Masaru would agree to that kind of a joke. To deny her and then to even go as far as to say they didn't even have a daughter, but a son instead, was troubling. It was enough to make Izuku's stomach churn uncomfortably.

"Let's just go to my house." Izuku offered. "We can figure everything out there."

After a few moments Katsuki nodded wordlessly, and they began to close the distance between them and Izuku's home. The girl with the mess of curls wouldn't admit it outloud, but Katsuki's news caused a terrible feeling to settle in the pit of her gut. With the numerous strange occurrences of the day, it was starting to look as though even Izuku was due to expect an unpleasant surprise at home. Her palms began to sweat as she nervously clenched and unclenched the straps of her yellow backpack. She ascended the stairs to her apartment, Katsuki in tow, slowly, but her heart pounded wildly against her chest. It thumped painfully against her ribcage, and for a brief moment she wondered if even Katsuki could hear it. It felt like an eternity before she was finally before the door to her apartment. It seemed even longer until she managed to choke up the courage to reach for the doorknob and open the door.

"Mom?" She spoke anxiously into the dimly lit space of her home, inwardly cursing herself her nervousness slip through her voice. Izuku was sure Katsuki noticed it, but if she did she made no mention; the wild girl opted to remain quiet.

The young girl's call was met with nothing but silence, and for a moment Izuku thought her mother may have still been out running daily errands. Her suspicions, however, were proven false when she notice her mother's shoes by the entrance. She felt like a stone was caught in her throat, and she struggled to force it down.

"Mom?" Izuku called once more.

"Izuku?" After many seconds, a woman's voice responded back and Izuku felt immense relief wash over her.

"I'm home!" Finally, a smile fell onto the girl's lips as she rushed to remove her shoes. Katsuki followed suit, but still remained unusually quiet. "You haven't seen the news yet have you? Today's been really strange!" Izuku practically bounded from the entryway, ready to round the corner to properly greet her mother, but was stopped short when said woman appeared instead. Immediately, Izuku's smile faded.

"What the fuck?" Katsuki's response mirrored Izuku's inner thoughts at the sight of her mother.

The woman's face was round and plush, as was her body; there was only a mere resemblance to the mother she knew. The expression the older woman displayed was that of surprise as well as worry. "Who are you?"

"W-what?" The girl's voice faltered, but still she tried to hide her increasing anxiety. "What do you mean…? I'm Izuku!"

"But... you're not my son."

All at once, Izuku felt her heart drop to the very pit of her stomach. It was as if the world had been flipped upside down and the very foundations of reality were being distorted. The young girl could hardly stand, resting one hand against her temple and another on a wall nearby as if to stable herself. Her legs felt weak, her vision began to swim, all while her breath hitched painfully in her throat. Never before had she felt so unsure of her own identity. Izuku found herself so dazed she could barely register the sound of the front door opening and closing nearby. Raising her weary eyes to the woman she referred to as her mother, her lips parted to speak.

"What. The. Fuck." Each syllable curt and emphasized, Katsuki's voice shook her from her stupor. In that moment of surrealism, Izuku had nearly forgotten about Katsuki's presence. Briefly, she supposed Katsuki's vocal disruption was needed and kept her from acting rashly, but she couldn't find it in herself to be bothered by that one rational thought.

Brows furrowed and fists clenched, Izuku pivoted on her heel to face Katsuki, ready to take out her pent up frustration on the other girl; she ultimately stopped short, however. Instead, the object that had captured Katsuki's attention now had her own. Before them was a boy. His hair was short and unkempt, a mess of green curls; a striking resemblance to Izuku's long locks. His green eyes were wide with surprise and his fists awkwardly clenched at the straps of his bright yellow backpack; the resemblances kept piling up.

"Mom?" His voice broke the sudden silence, speaking out to the plump woman. "What's going on?"

"Izuku, do you know these two girls?"

"Izuku?!" The two young girls choked out the name in unison.

The boy the woman called Izuku seemed to be only capable of staring at them in wonder. The days peculiarities only dragged onward. From the slug villain, to All Might, and even to an odd occurrence in the Midoriya household. In the center of this unusual event stood a plump woman, Katsuki, and two people named Izuku Midoriya. 

* * *

A/N: I had every intention of finishing this awhile ago, but school got in the way!

Anyway, from now on Male!Deku will be called Midoriya and Fem!Deku will be called Izuku. I'll probably go back to the other chapter and edit it to be that way from the beginning so the transition will be less confusing. **(EDITED)**

Also! I feel that I should mention that there is a definite reason behind the differences between Izuku and Katsuki, and the canon Midoriya and Bakugou. That, however, will be explored in later chapters!

Until then! Comments are welcome, and I will see you in the next chapter! ^^


	3. Chapter 3

"Izuku?!" The two girls choked out the name in unison.

Midoriya, admittedly, wasn't too comfortable suddenly receiving so much attention from two girls. His freckled cheeks were flushed and his hands held tight to the straps of his yellow backpack. Still, having gone years returning home to be greeted by his mother alone, he was more than surprised to see two unknown girls in the house. Let alone, two unknown girls that seemed content to gape at him.

"Uhm-" his nervous lips parted, eyes darting to and fro between the floor and his two guests.

"Deku, what the hell is going on?"

Midoriya froze, the sound of his degrading nickname scaring his spine stiff. The aggressive tone was enough for his eyes to go wide and for his lips to press shut. Despite seeing Bakugou stomp angrily toward his home barely an hour before, he was fully prepared to see the rowdy lad before him, ready to fight. After years of torment, Midoriya reasoned, this must've been a reflexive reaction. Still, as his shoulders began to fall, his rational fear was instead replaced with perplexity. The scene before him, staring his two female guests, seemed as though he was watching life through a mirror.

Katsuki faced Izuku, glare directed at the slightly shorter girl. "Is this suppose to be a joke?"

Izuku couldn't believe what she was hearing. Neither the words spoken earlier by her supposed "mother", her genderbent lookalike, or Katsuki. "Joke?" Her shock was evident as she choked out the word. "You can't be serious?! You think I would joke about something like this?"

"Don't play dumb, Deku! I know what you're capable of!"

"W-why don't we… calm d-down?" Midoriya's timid voice cut through the two girl's steadily rising voices. He tried to approach, but stopped short when the spiky haired blonde set her glare on him.

"And you!" She reached out, grasping his collar firmly. When the sweat on the palm of her hand began to smoke, Midoriya felt the situation to be too familiar for comfort. "Why do you look so much like Deku?"

Midoriya swallowed uncomfortably, wide eyes fixed on the smoking hand near his throat.

"You've got to be kidding me! You're always trying to start a fight!" Izuku reached out to stop her companion before the situation could escalate further.

"Shut the hell up! I don't want to hear any of your shitty excuses!" Katsuki growled at Izuku, slapping her hand away. "If you're not going to admit to this shitty joke, then I'll make this guy admit it! Even if I have to beat it out of him!"

"Why are you always like this, Katsuki?!"

"Katsuki...?" Midoriya shifted his gaze to the girl that threatened to cause him injury. If possible, his eyes widened further. The similarities between the girl before him and Bakugou now seemed glaringly obvious. They listed themselves out in the far reaches of his own mind, and the more he thought about it the more he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it sooner. "K-Kacchan…?"

Izuku looked toward Midoriya, eyes wide and clouded with confusion. Katsuki, however, clenched her fists tighter, ready to release the frustration that was pent up within her. The explosive girl shifted her glare toward the boy, a mini explosion releasing from the tips of her unoccupied fingers. Her movements were quick, and Izuku barely had time to stop her. Free hand moving to strike, Midoriya squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for impact.

"Don't call me that, you shitty Deku!"

"Katsuki!"

"Enough!" Suddenly, everything was still, Katsuki's hand hovering too close to Midoriya's face for comfort. When he opened his eyes, his focus initially went to the wisps of smoke rising from the tips of Katsuki's fingers before moving elsewhere. He, Katsuki, and Izuku simultaneously looked toward the source of the voice that demanded attention; the plump woman, nearly forgotten in the midsts of the three teens exchange. "No fighting in the house!"

Izuku glanced toward Katsuki, and with an annoyed grunt, Katsuki shoved Midoriya away from her.

"Now," the woman continued, her hands trembling as she wrung them together. Despite this nervous gesture, the look in her eyes was steady and sure. "We are going to talk about this calmly, in the living room."

Midoriya seemed more than uncomfortable with how the situation was progressing. "Mom…"

"Now!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!" Izuku and Midoriya responded immediately to her, rarely used, commanding tone. They practically tripped their way toward the living area while Katsuki dragged her feet behind them, the older woman following suit.

Upon settling into the living room, everyone sat in silence for a handful of seconds, exchanging uncomfortable stares. It wasn't until the round woman spoke again that the silence was broken.

"We all seemed to be confused," she started, unsure of where to start. "Why don't we first introduce ourselves. Izuku?"

"O-kay-" Midoriya and Izuku started in unison, but stopped short, exchanging a look of surprise. Izuku's features eventually settled into a troubled expression. Looking down at her lap, where her hands rest, clenched together, she let her other speak. "My name is Midoriya Izuku…"

"And I am Midoriya Inko, Izuku's mother." After introducing herself, she looked toward the two girls. "What are your names?"

Katsuki glanced at the other girl, observing how she twiddled with her fingers, eyes trained on her lap. It didn't seem like she wanted to speak, as though she was afraid of the inevitable outcome they tumbled ever closer to.

"Katsuki Bakugou." The rowdy girl said finally, sick of her companions silence.

Midoriya stood from his seat, brows furrowed in an expression of utter confusion. "W-what-?"

"We can save the questions for later." Midoriya's mom interjected, easing her son back into his seat. Although she couldn't hide her equally confused expression, she withheld the words that wanted to escape. Too many questions so early on would only lead to more confusion. She looked toward the only unintroduced person, the one that bore a striking resemblance to her son, "And what about your name?"

Lifting her wary gaze from her lap, Izuku glanced between her lookalike and his supposed mother. "I'm…" she hesitated. "I'm Izuku Midoriya."

Uncomfortable, Inko glanced between Izuku and her son. She wasn't so oblivious to not have noticed the similarities between the two of them. In fact, the only obvious difference between them was that Izuku's hair was longer and pulled back into a messy ponytail.

"Um…" Inko looked at Izuku with eyes filled with unsurity. "When you first came here, you called me mom? Is there some sort of mistake? Where do you live?"

"That's the thing!" Izuku's outburst startled the residents of the abode. Just moments before her lips were tightly pinched shut, but now she sat with her hands buried in her curls in frustration. "You're supposed to be my mom! My mom is Inko Midoriya! You act just like her, and you look like her, but-" The curly haired girl stopped herself, biting at her lips as she carefully contemplated her next words. "This is where I live… This is my house… but you're so different…

"I don't know how to explain it! This all started after the incident in Tatooin Shopping District…" Wearily, Izuku lowered her gaze back to the ground.

"Tatooin?" Midoriya piqued at that. His brows furrowed and he raised his hand to quizzically tap at his chin. Anyone could practically see the gears in his head turning. "The sludge villain?"

Both Izuku and Katsuki's eyes immediately jumped to Midoriya. "Yes!" Izuku said, almost too eagerly. "He took Kacchan, and I just… My legs just-"

"-moved on their own?" Midoriya finished her sentence, all too familiar with the earlier occurrences of the day.

For a moment, they did nothing but stare at each other in awe. Even the usually rough and boisterous Katsuki was silent, brows furrowed deeply in thought. Based on the information presented before them, it was difficult to come to a conclusion of what could be going on.

Inko's gaze drifted between the children, worry evident on the features of her face. "Sludge villain?"

The tense atmosphere seemed to grow more so, Midoriya and Izuku letting out a nervous cough almost simultaneously.

"I-I-" they spoke at once, waving their arms before them as if to assure the older woman. "I was going to tell you as soon as I got home!"

"Izuku Midoriya!" Inko practically screeched. She looked faint.

Both Izuku and Midoriya showered the older woman in apologies. With the boy desperately fanning Inko's face, it took a moment, but they were able to calm her; if only a little.

"We both experienced an encounter with the sludge villain and All Might, and apparently at the same time." Midoriya resumed the previous discussion. He lifted his hand to his chin, fingers tapping quizzically against his cheek. Everyone present could practically see gears turning in his head. "This obviously isn't possible, and there is no clear way to explain the similarities between us. As far as I know, there haven't been any cases like this in the past, so we don't have anything to go off of either. It's almost like-"

Midoriya was rambling, and the other participants of the conversation were beginning to lose where he was going with all of this.

"Deku, shut up!" Katsuki, who had been unusually quiet throughout most of this ordeal, let out an exasperated sigh, shaking Midoriya from his ramblings.

"Oh," the boy looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry…" Still, his brows furrowed with a sort of determination to get to the bottom of this odd occurrence. When his eyes observed his lookalike, from the look on her face, he could tell they had come to the same conclusion.

"It's almost like a parallel universe…" Izuku said the words Midoriya previously left unspoken.

"But aren't parallel universes the same with minor differences?" This time, it was Inko who raised a question.

"Not necessarily," Midoriya responded. "In theory, with parallel universes, there would be many similarities, but there is usually something about them that differs."

"Think of it like flipping a coin." Izuku took over the explanation, the smooth transition almost seeming rehearsed. "If you were to flip a coin and it lands on heads, there would be a parallel universe where it lands on tails. If we really are from parallel universes, that would explain the reaction Katsuki received from her parents…"

"If this really is a different universe, then they aren't my parents." Katsuki grumbled, low and almost inaudible.

Izuku took pause, her lips briefly pinching together solemnly before continuing. "It would also explain some of the similarities."

"What are some of the similarities?" Inko asked.

"Well," Izuku started, a brief hesitation prefacing her words. "Even though Katsuki and I have different genders from our counterparts, for the most part, you're the same as my mom."

"For the most part?"

"Izuku's mom isn't f-ugh!" The word on Katsuki's lips faded into a pained grunt when Izuku's elbow pushed into her gut. Izuku sent her a sharp glare. "You have different _features_." Katsuki corrected herself with a hiss.

Izuku removed her elbow from Katsuki's person. "Other than you and Katsuki's parents, we haven't seen enough to know what's the same and what's different."

"On top top that," Katsuki grunted, rubbing her sore side, "if we came to a parallel universe, we don't know how to go back…"

For a moment, the room was silent, the air heavy with a sense of hopelessness. Even if they were to find the cause of this anomaly, finding a solution would be an entirely different beast. "Unless..." Izuku mumbled under her breath, realization bringing light to her eyes. "All Might and the Sludge villain are the two factors that are the same in both of our stories. I doubt the Sludge villain will know anything about this, but maybe All Might will be able to help!"

"But," Midoriya hesitated. "We have no way of getting in contact with All Might…" he lied. Thinking back to his trek home earlier in the day, Midoriya certainly had a way of contacting the mentioned hero. However, he was reluctant to mention that information.

"Yes, but for Katsuki and I the U.A. entrance exam was right around the corner. U.A. is All Might's alma mater! Someone there will surely know how to contact him. If not, then maybe they will be able to help!" There were stars in Izuku's eyes. Whether from finding a solution in a seemingly hopeless situation, or from her obvious enthusiasm for heroes, no one could really tell. "Our next step should be getting into U.A.!"

Katsuki huffed arrogantly, chest puffed out with pride. "That was the plan all along. I don't care what universe it is, nothing can stop me from attending U.A.!"

Izuku rolled her eyes. "The exam is in ten months. We'll have to prepare for it."

"Until then," Inko, whom had been quietly following the conversation, spoke up. "You have nowhere else to stay, so you can stay here."

The two girls' faces first reflected shock, and then relief. It was evident that they hadn't considered their living arrangements. Then again, they also hadn't considered the event of suddenly becoming strangers in their own home. Ultimately, it was decided that they would stay in Midoriya's room.

Upon entering, they were greeted with pictures of All Might, earth's greatest hero, covering nearly every surface. Izuku didn't want to admit it, but this was another similarity between her and her counterpart. Being surrounded by the number one hero's image also confirmed another similarity: All Might was male in both worlds. It was comforting to know there were aspects of this world that resembled their own. However, that also made it all the more suspenseful for the two girls. They had no way of knowing when something would be different. So far, it has been the most subtle differences that had the most impact.

Tiredly, they turned off the lights and moved to go to sleep. Katsuki made her way to the bed while Izuku made herself comfortable on the floor. Despite their heavy eyes, it felt as though sleep would never come. What was only a handful of minutes seemed like hours of staring at the familiar yet foreign ceiling. Eventually, however, sleep would come.

First, it took Izuku whose eyes drifted closed without her even realizing. It tried to take Katsuki, whose usual glare settled into a blank stare, but the girl was stubborn. In the midsts of her chaotic thoughts, she realized that she couldn't actually remember the last time she had spent the night over at Izuku's house. When they were younger, they often took turns exploring the other's home at least once a week. After Katsuki developed her quirk, however, it was a custom that quickly ceased. For a moment, she contemplated calling out to Izuku, but aside from her pride insisting otherwise, Katsuki could tell the other girl had already managed to fall into a deep slumber.

Heaving a sigh, Katsuki pushed those memories away, and finally let sleep take her.

* * *

A/N: First of all... Thank you so much for being so patient with me! It's been so crazy for me! (I'm in my final semester of college and also transitioned from an internship to a new job) My schedule has finally started to stabilize somewhat, so hopefully I'll be able to commit more time to this story! I 100% refuse to leave this story unfinished!

This chapter was much shorter than the last. It'll pick up soon, but first I really want to dedicate time to properly develop the characters. I hope you will continue to be patient with me!

Please, let me know what you think so far; comments are welcome!

Stay tuned for the next one!


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